1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to weather broadcasting and display systems, and more particularly to a system and method for displaying multiple meteorological threats in a single threat image.
While the threat image of the present invention may be displayed in a variety of formats, it is particularly well suited for three-dimensional weather display utilizing real-time three-dimensional representations of meteorological data including radar gathered data combined with geographical data for television broadcasts of simulated weather patterns in three dimensions.
2. Technical Background
For many years people have relied on weather broadcasts to help plan their lives. According to Robert Henson in his book, Television Weathercasting: A History, weather xe2x80x9cconsistently ranks as the top draw in both local and national news (when featured in the latter).xe2x80x9d According to a poll conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1980, weather was xe2x80x9cthe major reason that people watch the news programs.xe2x80x9d
The field of meteorology has seen significant technological advances in the past few years. New and innovative devices such as Doppler radar, thunderstorm detectors, and wind and temperature profilers have all helped meteorologists better understand and predict weather.
However, despite public interest and technological advances, the weather display seen by television viewers has not changed significantly over the years. In nearly all television broadcasts, weather data is presented as a flat, 2-D (two-dimensional) map overlay. In the mid 1970""s, xe2x80x9ccolor-radarxe2x80x9d was introduced, which differentiates areas of precipitation using a color-coding scheme. Patches of heavy rain, snow or hail are all depicted the same way: in red. Lighter areas of precipitation are represented in varying shades of yellow, green or blue.
The typical current weathercast display represents the weather symbolically rather than realistically and usually only shows the general air temperature and the location of precipitation. In some instances, a superimposed satellite display of fluffy cloud patterns is shown moving along over the flat map from an exaggerated height observation point. The xe2x80x9cblue screenxe2x80x9d display behind the announcer still usually shows the familiar two-dimensional patchwork rainfall amounts in red, yellow, green and blue. The satellite imagery displayed on the evening broadcast may be anywhere from a half-hour to four ours old.
Also significant is the information that is absent from the conventional weathercast display, such as: (1) the type of precipitation, (2) the strength and location of wind shear, (3) the presence of tornadic signatures showing rapid circular motion, (4) the location of updraft vault, (5) the location of wall clouds, (6) the location of heavy lightning activity, and (7) the wind direction on the ground.
The National Weather Service has a network of advanced S-Band radar stations in place at 138 sites in the United States, and is capable of delivering 77 different products to government meteorologists. These products include; winds aloft, lightning activity and wind shear conditions, such as microburst activity. However, of these 77 products, only 11 are commercially available through contract with several private weather service companies which act as intermediaries between the National Weather Service and the public. These companies charge for the use of these eleven products and, in order to receive the latest radar (NEXRAD) information from a particular site, a private individual or company pays a monthly fee to receive the radar signal.
There are several patents, which disclose various systems of three-dimensional representation of topographical data and meteorological data for pilots and flight simulators used in pilot training.
Manelphe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,609 discloses an optoelectric system of assistance in attack and navigational missions, which provides a three-dimensional localization of a point of interest for a navigational resetting operation or for a firing control operation.
Yen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,397 discloses a 3-D weather simulation system used with a four-channel digital radar landmass simulator (DRLMS) for flight simulators, which integrates culture, elevation, aspect, and weather. Weather maps can be loaded into the system as weather patterns and can be expanded, rotated, and translated. Weather mass is simulated in three dimensions, i.e., having a bottom and height. Implementation entails the full or partial occultation of terrain and targets by weather, and vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,972 issued to Miller describes a weathercasting system for displaying weather radar information in 3D, such that the viewer can simulate moving through the system to visualize the effects of a weather system at various geographical locations. Miller allows for the combination of data from multiple weather sources, but states that his weather images will be at least 20 minutes old by the time they are broadcast. This time delay is due in large part to the variety of weather data sources utilized by Miller, which cause delays both in receiving and assimilating the information.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by providing a weather-casting system for displaying dynamic real time three-dimensional pictorial representations of weather conditions created from meteorological data combined with geographical data. Meteorological data including precipitation, cloud cover data, the bottom and top of cloud formations, and reflectivity and velocity of rain droplets in real-time are acquired from C-band Doppler radar, which is combined with NEXRAD data, and the data is digitized and processed to produce a simulated, graphically displayable three-dimensional image of the meteorological data. The meteorological data is combined with the geographical data and displayed on a computer display screen, and manipulated by peripheral devices connected with the computer. The combined data is displayed as a three-dimensional graphical representation of weather conditions relative to a selective geographical area. The graphical representation can be manipulated to allow the viewer to visualize the effects of the weather system at various geographical locations, and from various angles. The graphical representation will also provide full volumetric data of the storm, allowing the user to xe2x80x9cslicexe2x80x9d the storm to view cross sections from various angles, and from various positions, including viewing the storm and a cross section from within the storm itself.
One problem associated with combining NEXRAD data with real-time Doppler radar data is the time delay. NEXRAD data is typically updated only once every five or six minutes, whereas TV station Doppler radar data is practically instantaneous. If the user is to present a full 3D volumetric model of a storm system, then the model would need to be at least six minutes old to make use of the NEXRAD data. However, the present invention provides means for utilizing all of the NEXRAD data, as it is available to match the real-time Doppler radar data. The NEXRAD data combined with the real-time Doppler radar provides an approximation of the entire volumetric data of the storm in real time.
Another shortcoming associated with the graphical weather display systems known in the art relates to the manner in which severe weather data is presently displayed to a viewer. Severe weather poses at least three major threats to viewersxe2x80x94heavy rains, hail, and dangerous winds. To present all three such threats to viewers, meteorologists or other users typically interpret three separate sets of data and produce three separate images, then update the data and corresponding images every few minutes. This is a difficult and time-consuming task, given the time demands placed upon meteorologists during the occurrence of a severe weather event.
In essence, meteorologists have to juggle being both an interpreter and a presenter of data. With multiple weather events to show and multiple displays required to show them, the meteorologist has little time to prepare a presentation and almost no time for actual interpretation. As a result, even the best meteorologist often provides less than accurate information regarding the location and intensity of severe weather events and their anticipated paths of travel.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method of processing weather data that facilitates the expedient examination of the above-mentioned three major threats at one time. More specifically, there is a need for a computer based system and method for processing radar return data to create a composite threat product which contains meteorological data pertaining to each of the three major threats (heavy rains, hail, and dangerous winds) affecting a geographic region at a particular time. The composite threat product should be capable of being graphically displayed on a display device as a composite threat image. The system should further automatically associate the composite threat product, and thus the composite threat image with geographic data indicative of the geographic area affected by each of the threats represented by the composite threat product or image. Such a system and method will enable a meteorologist to accurately interpret the received meteorological data and provide viewers with a more accurate report on the present and anticipated location of heavy rains, hail, and dangerous winds affecting that geographic region. It is to the provision of such a system and method that the present invention is primarily directed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a 3-D weather display system utilizing real-time, three-dimensional representations of combined meteorological data including Doppler radar data and NEXRAD data for television broadcasts of simulated weather patterns.
It is another object of this invention to provide a 3D weather display system, wherein NEXRAD data is extrapolated forward in time for combination with real-time Doppler radar data. The combined data is then used to provide an approximation of real-time weather data in full volumetric 3D display.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of processing weather data. The method includes the steps of receiving weather data, processing the received weather data to generate, threat images, distinct from one another, for a given geographic area, and combining the threat images to create a composite threat image.
An additional aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of processing meteorological data. The method includes the steps of creating a composite threat product from meteorological data received from a meteorological data source and associating the composite threat product with geographic data indicative of the geographic area affected by the composite threat product.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for processing meteorological data. The system includes memory for storing received meteorological data, and a processor communicating with the memory to create distinct threat products from the received meteorological data. The processor is instructed to combine the distinct threat products to produce a composite threat product capable of being graphically displayed.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of processing meteorological data. The method includes the steps of receiving meteorological data indicative of a meteorological event affecting a geographic region, and processing the received meteorological data to create threat products, distinct from one another, affecting the geographic region. The distinct threat products affecting the geographic region are combined to create a composite threat product.
This system and method of processing meteorological data of the present invention provides a number of advantages over other systems and methods currently known in the art. For example, a system and method the present invention enables at least two or more severe weather threats to be displayed together on a display device at the same time. As a result, meteorologists or other users can quickly and efficiently interpret and disseminate information relating to the severe weather threats to viewers. Moreover, because the threats can now be displayed together, severe weather updates and forecasts are now more accurate and may be provided to viewers on a more timely basis. In addition, severe weather updates may now be more specific with respect to intensity and location of each of the severe weather threats.
These and additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understanding of the invention, illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention.